


What Really Happened, OR How Aziraphale Learned to Stop Worrying and Start Loving the Fandom

by violet_quill



Category: Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Livejournal Blackout, Meta
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-11-05
Updated: 2010-11-05
Packaged: 2017-10-13 01:58:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/131542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/violet_quill/pseuds/violet_quill
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What, you didn't think the Livejournal blackout was an accident, did you?</p>
            </blockquote>





	What Really Happened, OR How Aziraphale Learned to Stop Worrying and Start Loving the Fandom

**Author's Note:**

> This story was written as a response to the Livejournal blackout of 2005. Featuring Aziraphale and Crowley, with cameos by copperbadge, daily_snitch, a mysterious woman in Toronto, Fandom Wank, and some Snarry shippers.
> 
> Originally posted [here](http://violet-quill.livejournal.com/93545.html).
> 
> Also, I cannot believe there was already a tag for "Livejournal Blackout."

"So. Guess what I did today?"

Aziraphale inclined his head in Crowley's direction and let out a weary sigh. "Normally, I would be quite frightened by any conversation begun in this manner. However, it just so happens that I know exactly what you did today."

His companion's mouth formed a surprised 'o'. "You... but I thought you didn't pay attention to the Internet!"

"Yes, well, I keep an eye on certain factions. It's your own fault for being so blatant in your spread of sin and discord; I didn't sleep for a week after you started Fandom Wank."

"You don't sleep at all."

"It was a figure of speech."

Crowley took a long drag off of a cigarette that seemed to have simply appeared in his fingers. "So if you knew about the Livejournal thing, why didn't you stop it?"

"I just... helped. And by the way, Crowley, that was just a really rotten thing for you to do." Aziraphale shook his head and sighed, and then had to push his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. "It was fairly awful when you tied up cellphone traffic several years ago, but - "

"Yeah, I was pretty proud of that one."

"... but this was just _evil_. There was a woman in Toronto who refreshed her friends page 345 times in a half hour, and then beat her computer with a baseball bat."

"That's not my problem, my feathered friend. It's like any other addiction - unhealthy. I probably did these people a favor."

"You nearly brought the entire Harry Potter fandom to a standstill!" Aziraphale glared at him accusingly.

"Hey, I know you have a thing for little gay wizards, but..."

"They are _not_ gay. And I refuse to have this argument with you again."

"It's not like I have time to go around coercing people to write Snape/Harry porn. And by the way, I might add that I find it rather strange that you defend the culture so much when it produces some of the most graphic, raunchiest - "

"It's not all about _porn_!"

"You're so far in the closet, you're finding Christmas presents."

Aziraphale snorted and crossed his arms over his chest. There were some things that a proper angel simply didn't dignify with an answer.

"So," Crowley continued, tossing his cigarette to the pavement and stepping on it with a black-toed boot. "How did you help them? Things seemed pretty hopeless from where I was sitting. I managed to keep it down for _over 24 hours_." He lifted his head and smiled.

"Well, I reminded a few key people about the existence of Greatestjournal," Aziraphale told him, looking almost smug. "Within a couple of hours, a huge chunk of the fandom had simply moved on over. They even brought the Daily Snitch with them."

Crowley snorted disdainfully. "Bah. I'll bet all they did was post whining about Livejournal being down."

Aziraphale shifted uncomfortably. "Not _all_..."

"So you gave them a forum for whining. Anything else?"

"Sam sent them a fruit basket."

"Who? If he's not a regular on Fandom Wank, I'm lost."

"Anyway. A fruit basket. Or something. To the Livejournal admins. With money from donations."

"I fail to see how this helped all that much. Weren't people still _very unhappy_ today?" Crowley looked at him hopefully.

"Well..."

"Well, _what_?"

"With the free time from not reading their friends pages every ten minutes, a lot of them wrote."

"Wrote?" Crowley's ears perked up. "Did they write porn?"

"It wasn't _all_ porn... look, my point is - they banded together. As a community. And survived your evil-doing. And I think they're the better for it."

"Better, and with more porn."

"You know..." Aziraphale sighed. "I don't understand why I continue to associate with you."

"It's because I'm so cute."

"I'm going to hand you over to them. I'll bet they'll have your head on a stick faster than any witch hunters could."

Crowley laughed. "Right. And how do you plan to do that?"

Aziraphale's mouth quirked into a small smile. "I'll post about you on Fandom Wank."

Silence.

Then - "You wouldn't."

"Oh, yes. I would."

Crowley scooted closer to Aziraphale on the bench, and looked up, his eyes pleading. "Come on, old buddy, old pal..."

"It would serve you right."

"I'll be Harry to your Snape..."

"No!"

"You know, I'll bet someone is slashing us right now."

Aziraphale paled. "That's not funny."

Crowley just smiled.


End file.
